Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-04-20

gest. Taken with ito surroundings and III
present beautiful state of green nothing more
could be desired. The city is situated on
level plain, but the Capitol grounds, at great
expense, have been elevated. The building
is of fine model but not elaborate finish. In
the centre court is placed the celebrated
work of Mead. columbus before Queen
Isabella" which cost 0,000 and which Is
valued at twice that sum. 1t will be remem-
bered that this piece of statuary when brought
from Italy, Law for two wears in the custom
house, held for $4,000 duty, which made il
embarrassing to the owner and which was the
occasion of placing it in the hands of Cali
fsrnia. The State is proud of this master
piece of sculpture.
A BEAUTIFUL VIEW
is had from the cupoa of the Capitol. The
city and the Sacramento River lie at your
feet, but these you forego in the view as al
most instantly you bring your glass to beai
on the outline of the scene. To the west,
about seventy miles, are the Coast Range
Mountains; to the east, same distance, the
Sierra Nevada; and to the north, Maysville
Butte Between these lies the vast Sacra.
mento Valley, said to be the finest body OF
land in California, and some of it near the
Sacramento River claimed as unsurpassed
anywhere in richness.
In the outskirts of the city east is
Suffers FORT
of historic interest. 1t is huge "dobv"
building, still standing on the only small emf
hence near the city Here, blesk and lonely,
in a state Of decay, stand these adobe walls,
the witness of many an episode, the silent at
test Of once crude frontier, the abandoned
covert where was once sheltered the pioneer
from real and imaginary dangers. Into its
history are woven strange experiences-odd
threads of some lives of various hues.
Among the interesting persons one meets
with in Sacramento is the
OLD "FORTYNINER"
whose history OF self, of California, of all the
incidents of this adventurous coast. he most
freely and fsmlliarly furnishes you. These
men have had an experience as a rule that has
tested the nerve and determined the strength
of endurance. The excitement, exposure,
anxiety and ambition; the fatigue, abuse, sue
cess or disappointment have scattered and
them until finding forty-niner at
this day you have material that you can de-
pend on for history, tor emotion, for amuse
ment or for whatever element lies in the
realm of proper ambition These men
will talk you to tears or convulse you with
laughter, will fill you with wonder or test
your credulity as they tell you their exper-
ience in digging for gold, in making fortunes,
in becoming rich and then becoming poor,
showing how the road to poverty is paved
with gold. Said one of thes4 old men to me,
who left Salem, Mass, 80 years ago, whose
family is still 10 the east, three times have |
been considered rich, here now is my occupe-
ion," showing me on the street few pic
rnrss Soop all uill he ovpr nd thrilIiu q
experience at times buoyant and then again
trailing in the dust will end with the tabeau
earth to EARTH An association Of these pic
oeer gold hunters has beep formed in Sacra-
mento, who have hall and many interesting
me- m -ntos of those days. Very few of them
ever accumu at wealth and kept it.
Sacramento from a success sion of municipal
has developed aud is now strug-
Cling with
A HORRIBLE NIGHTMARE
in the way OF debt. The origin of this
trouble dates back and for the most part is
connected with the digging for gold
Hydraulicing was the method soon adapted
to reducing calciterous clay containing gold,
hard as flint TO the touch of the pick
By turning the waters from the surrounding
heights through continent pipes against tn
sent the debris down the stream and into the
rivers, until for several hundred miles il
filled up the channels so much as to turn at
freshet times the streams out upon the land
At Sacramento the channel filed about ~
feet. This made it impracticable to remain
here as city unless 'rrrspond ng levee
was built and the city raised. Before this
was done the city, some years ago, was in-
undated and almos. DESTROYED The au-
to build the needed restraining
cams issued several millions of bonds and
sold them for what they would bring-I thnk
averaging less than % per cent face value.
These bonds are still out and their holders
refuse to settle for less than par value. The
city would readily pay their first C ,st and
but the Englishmen who hold the
b )nds have lost their discount table. The
two main streets of the city, J and X, have
been raised to the second story of the
original buildings. This has caused an ex.
pense to property holders which has
bankrupted many of the original owners.
To-day the greatest and pravest question with
which the State has TO deal is
HYDRAULIcING.
This process of digging for gold in many
of the gold deposits is the great industry Of
the State. But since agriculture ha. de-
veloped and lands containing fertile soils IN
NE valleys are indisp ensable to the further
and future welfare Of the State the question
has been raised (Which, mining or f4rminp?"
The legislature has for year., and never more
than in its last session, struggled with this
question. Out of this have grown many
personal difficulties and litgations, disputes
and homicides. McWhor.er, the editor of
the Marysville Democrat. has just
been acquitted of the charge of manslaughter
at Sacramento for killing Robe.on,a marshal
whose duty it was to watch and restrain the
miners from hydraulicing. The question re.
mains unsettled as to which interest has the
right, but the point desired is how both can
have their rights. This hydraulic force when
it can be used is the most powerful worker
known powder is nowhere. A stream com
ing through two inch or less nozzle at a
distance of sixty feet away.will go through
man like cannon ball. This continual Dat
terng against the impervious clay can be
kept up necessarily and so completely re-
duces and sends away a whole mountain ex-
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